For 21-year-old winger Fran Pérez, the prospect of running out for Valencia at the Estadio Mestalla would have seemed sharper than a blurry dream during his younger days.
In part, that’s because his father, Francisco Rufete, made over 100 appearances for Valencia—the most for any team in his career. Born in the Spanish city, the fabled stadium was rarely far from Pérez, too—another inspiration. Staying driven and disciplined has since taken him there, and he’s now cemented himself within the senior squad nearly two years after making his debut.
As Valencia targets a European place following a relegation scare last term, the onus is on academy players to help pull the unit forward and reach new heights. Or, at least, ones closer to those summited during the good times in La Liga and the Champions League. Two decades back, amid trophy-winning glory, Valencia was one of the best sides in the world.
Presently, the trusted cohort includes Pérez, Javi Guerra, Diego López, Cristhian Mosquera and Jesús Vázquez. Among the well-known names in La Liga, Valencia has the youngest roster in the top tier and the third youngest in Europe’s elite leagues this season, with an average age of just below 24.
So, do Pérez and the generation breaking through at Los Che feel any pressure?
“I don’t think pressure is the word,” the wide player, who appears mature and level-headed, tells me in an interview.
“We still feel the fans’ ambition—we are at an ambitious club. But there’s no pressure on my part, more on the experienced heads to work well and take some pressure off us youngsters. There’s a lot of good work from the coach and in managing the group.
On getting to this point with his teammates, he adds, “For me, and us all, it’s an honor. Four or five years ago, we were in the cadetes (youth ranks) in Valencia. That’s all now part of the season we’re having. And we are important. Nobody could have imagined that back then.”
While it may be a pretty tale, investing in the academy and churning out homegrown players is both a tradition and a necessity at Valencia. Spending freely on recruits isn’t standard practice under the watch of billionaire owner Peter Lim, and selling well-nurtured stars is always a risk nowadays. However, supporters will feel enthused by forward López renewing his contract until 2027 and hope such extensions become the norm.
Pérez feels the responsibility to perform well each week. But he’s enjoying the experience at—in his words—“the club of my life” and receiving advice from Rufete. An old-school, robust winger, Rufete played one precious game for Barcelona 28 years ago. Towards the end of his career at Hércules, he saw a less experienced teammate, Kiko Femenía, suffering an anxiety attack in a game against Athletic Club and desperately yelled at him to breathe.
For his son, other sports and idols shape him, too. Describing himself as a “daring” and “forward-thinking” player, Pérez touches on Netflix’s timeless basketball series The Last Dance.
“For his way of being and his ambition, Michael Jordan is someone I take note of.” he details. And in his field? “It’s Mbappé. How he dribbles, how he runs. He’s a reference point in the football (soccer) world.
“I think players’ values transcend different sports. Values like effort, sacrifice, and perseverance. Because we’re all professionals, whether you are an athlete, footballer, basketball player, or tennis player.”
In the Valencia dressing room, it’s not Phil Jackson spurring Pérez on but fan favorite Rubén Baraja. In many ways, the former midfielder’s job has gone beyond improving results, also tasked with reviving the club and its identity after last year’s ordeal, when three points fewer would have meant demotion to the Segunda for the first time in nearly 40 years.
“Baraja has been very important,” the right-sided midfielder adds. “Above all, for me. He’s helped me with continuity. And he trusts us all, including the young players.
“I think, in terms of all the good this season, a lot is down to him. He knows how to deal with things. We’ve suffered, but now we’re looking more forward than behind.”
With the campaign entering the final stretch and opportunity knocking, homegrown products like Pérez, powering the here, now, and what comes next, are perhaps ready to make that leap—just like the inspirations who trod the winning path before.